The Well Running Dry
by Zanza8
Summary: The way Irisa treats Nolan really bothers me and the episode If I Ever Leave This World Alive was the last straw. This is not the Irisa we've come to know-this is a scene with Irisa as I wish she would be. Not a missing moment for the episode-just pure fantasy of something I wish had happened.


_You never miss the water till the well runs dry-old folk saying_

Irisa sat back, contemplating the beads she had wrapped around Rathus' hand, so focused on the dead man she didn't even hear the footsteps behind her.

"There you are."

The Irathient looked around, glaring. "What do you want?"

Tommy glared right back. "I've been looking for you. Doc Yewll wants you over at the hospital tent."

Irisa turned back to Rathus. "My place is here."

The deputy shrugged. "Suit yourself. Doc thought you might want to see Nolan."

"Why?" Irisa touched the beads.

Tommy was already on his way out but he paused at the gate and snapped, "Because he's sick. **Real **sick. Doc doesn't know if he's gonna make it. But hey, do whatever you want."

* * *

Doc Yewll pulled back the flap of the tent, taking in great lungfuls of air. It was hard to realize the crisis was over-it seemed she had spent years with the sick and the dying, struggling to keep them alive while waiting for the cure. It was times like this that she almost envied the Castithans, the Irathients, even the humans. They followed stupid religions with pointless rituals, but they seemed to derive comfort from those religions and rituals. Yewll couldn't find much comfort in the world today-far too many had died and it would take a long time for the bitterness to fade. "Speaking of which…" she murmured.

"What did you say?" Irisa pushed past Yewll, looking around the tent.

"I said, so you finally decided to show up." Yewll dropped the tent flap. "I assume you're here to see your father?"

"Why else would I be here?"

Yewll shrugged and started across the tent. "I don't know, Irisa. Truthfully, I'm surprised you cared enough to come."

Irisa grabbed the Indogene's arm and swung her around. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yewll looked down at Irisa's hand and the Irathient removed it. "It means Nolan is the Lawkeeper and you're one of his deputies. It's your job to keep the peace, not escalate hostilities."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Irisa sulkily. "Where's Nolan?"

"This way." Yewll started walking again. "I heard all about it-how the Irathients were supposed to stay out of sight and you took a group up on a rooftop to _pray_. And you pushed Rafe McCawley off the roof and Nolan got in a standoff, ready to shoot everyone in sight to save you. Apparently it's acceptable for him to die for you-it's a pity you can't risk a few hard feelings from your people for him." She stopped at a bed. "Here he is."

Irisa's eyes widened. Nolan lay under a heavy blanket, his face ashen as he struggled to breathe. "Why is he still so sick? Didn't you give him the medicine?"

Yewll huffed indignantly. "Of course I gave him the medicine. In fact, he's had two doses so far."

"Then why…" Irisa sat on the bed and reached for Nolan's hand, appalled at the burning heat of it.

The Indogene doctor looked at the girl with a mixture of pity and scorn. "He's not responding to it. Your Irathient friends took him hostage, along with the medicine-oh, and not that you'll care, but they killed the Earth Republic ambassador as well…" Yewll shrugged. "They could have given him the medicine but they didn't. When Datak Tarr arrived…"

"Datak was there?"

"That's right. He was the one who went to get the medicine. He found Connor Lang dead and Nolan dying. He gave Nolan an injection, but it may have been too late."

Irisa squeezed Nolan's hand convulsively. "But if he got a shot before everybody else, why are they getting better and he's still…" She couldn't bring herself to say "dying" and her voice trailed away.

The Indogene spread her hands. "These things are unpredictable. Not everyone is affected by a disease the same way and not everyone will respond to medication the same way. It may be that Nolan, once he went to stage two, was unusually susceptible and the delay in treatment has cost him his life." Yewll looked closely at Irisa. "Does it really matter to you?"

Irisa fought back tears, wondering dimly why she didn't just punch Yewll out. "Why would you say that?"

"I've seen how you've been acting, Irisa." Yewll shook her head. "All you seem to care about is the Spirit Riders. Have you forgotten that the first time you ran across them, they shot you? Your precious Sukar was in charge, wasn't he? But he didn't save your life." Yewll bent over Nolan and felt his face, then checked his pulse. She avoided Irisa's eyes as she straightened up. "I remember that Nolan here was the one who brought you in. If it wasn't for him, you'd be dead." She turned away. "I can try one more dose of the medicine but I doubt it will do any good. If it was going to work, I think it would have done something by now."

"Just give it to him anyway," said Irisa brokenly. "Please."

Yewll took a deep breath. "Very well." She motioned to a Castithan woman, who hurried over. "Get me a vial and a hypo."

The Castithan frowned. "Doctor, I thought you said…"

"I know what I said! Just get me another dose of the medicine."

The woman hurried away and Yewll sighed. "Everybody is an expert."

"You said Nolan was going to die, didn't you?" Irisa stared at her father, trying to shut her ears to the labored breathing.

The doctor hesitated. "The humans have a saying-where there's life there's hope." The Castithan returned with the medicine and Yewll injected Nolan. "Stay with him, Irisa. Who knows? Maybe you being here will help for some reason."

* * *

Left alone with Nolan, Irisa fussed nervously with the blanket covering him. "How am I supposed to help, Nolan? You can't even hear me." The threatened tears spilled down the girl's cheeks. "You're such an idiot. Why didn't you just take a dose of the medicine as soon as you picked it up? Did you think one minute would make such a difference?" The enormity of her words closed over Irisa as she realized that was probably exactly what Nolan had thought-that every minute counted because she was in danger. He would never have put himself first when she was in trouble, and her anger, always close to the surface, rose against Nizar. If he wasn't dead, she would kill him herself. Why hadn't he just given Nolan a shot? He knew what this human meant to her-how could he call himself her friend and let her father die?

Nolan stirred, moaning, and Irisa's attention snapped back to him. She forced the anger down with an effort and took his hand again. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Nolan," she said with unaccustomed gentleness. "I've been so mixed up lately-I don't know what to think anymore." She swallowed hard. "No, that's not true. I know one thing for sure. I know that you love me. And I know-I haven't been good at showing it, but I love you. I…I thought of leaving, going to live with Sukar and his family, but I couldn't. I couldn't leave you." Irisa swiped at her tears, trying to control her voice. "Don't leave me, Nolan. Don't die. Please. Just please don't die."

* * *

Irisa could never say afterwards how long she sat in the hospital tent. She must have dozed off, for suddenly it was dark enough for the lights to be turned on and Doc Yewll was pushing her to one side to check on Nolan. He was very still-Irisa had never seen him so still, not even when he was sleeping, and a numbness descended on her heart. She sat quietly as Yewll bent over her father, trying to picture what life would be like without him. And then the Indogene straightened up with the closest thing to a smile Irisa had ever seen on her face.

"Well, it looks like that last dose did the trick."

The Irathient's head spun. "He's not dead?"

"No, of course he's not dead! He's just sleeping. He's going to need a lot of rest, but he should be fine in a day or two." Yewll considered the girl's swollen red eyes. "You look like you could use some rest yourself. You can go home now-he'll be all right."

Irisa smoothed Nolan's blanket. "I'd rather stay."

"Suit yourself." Doc Yewll walked off, then turned for a parting shot. "Maybe Nolan does mean something to you after all. You shouldn't forget that again-not everybody gets a second chance.

* * *

Nolan walked down the street, blinking in the bright sunlight. Had it always been so bright? Had the world always been this big, with such shining colors? Had air always smelled this good? He knew this marvelous sensitivity was a reaction to almost dying and that soon it would be gone as he adjusted to being well again, but for now, it was a pleasure just to see the town and feel that he was alive.

"You should be resting." Irisa was beside him, regarding him with a frown, and Nolan smiled.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead."

"You're an idiot."

Nolan hadn't heard that exasperated affection in Irisa's voice for a long time and he held out one arm to her. She threw both arms around him, hugging him fiercely, and for that one moment, his life was perfect.


End file.
